I keep thinking that one of these days I am going to wake up and suddenly cease to be amazed that I live by the ocean. It's been over 2 months and there is no sign of that letting up yet. Several times a day I have a moment of "Oh wow! The ocean is RIGHT THERE!"
I discovered this week that if I walk out and stand in the street in front of our house I can see the ocean. It looks like a great blue hill in the distance, stretching all the way to the horizon. As I drive the boys to school each morning and afternoon I marvel at it out my windows. I get the first sparkle of sunlight off the water just a couple minutes north of our house. The road hugs the coast, sometimes right beside the ocean, sometimes taking a jaunt to the left or right and the ocean is hidden behind trees and houses for moment or two. Then the road joins the edge of the land again and the ocean appears in all it's glory again. Along Devil's Slide, the road is literally at the edge of the land. It drops off a good 50 feet on one side, right down to the ocean. On the other side, the mountain is almost straight up, for another 50 feet at least. The wind whips up the cliff to the road and then on up the mountain above the road. When there is fog, you can watch the wisps sail up over your head as you drive. When there is no fog, the sun shines so brightly on the water below that it is almost blinding.
It is almost impossible for me to drive along with my windows rolled up. Unless it is raining or really chilly, the windows are open to the tang of the breeze and the rush of air through the van. There is the scent of the ocean in the air, but there is also a spicy scent of an unknown tree. It is almost pine, but not quite. It rides atop the briny scent of the ocean, mingling, yet distinct in it's self. I suspect this wonderful fragrance is unique to this area of California.
Often I find myself thanking God that he chose this amazing place for us to live. I wonder that my children are not as amazed as I am at our surroundings. Already they begin to take it in stride, as a normal thing. It is starting to feel like home to me, even though I continue to marvel at the beauty that surrounds me every day. I hope that I never loose that joy in this amazing place that God made and chose for me to live in.
What a beautiful post. I felt like I was in the van with you, enjoying God's creation.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about not being able to believe you live in such an incredible place. We moved up here to Marquette three years ago now, and I still marvel at the beauty here. I love the Big Lake, and the nothern forest. I walk along the beach and wonder why I ever lived anywhere else.
We can see Lake Superior when we go over to Lowe's. I never get tired of seeing that blue expanse disappearing over the horizon. We love popping up over the hills west of town on the way back from the VA in Iron Mountain to see Superior's sparkling waters in the distance. So I can certainly understand why you love the ocean!
Thanks for sharing!